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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. charge — a price
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. rock — music
  5. row — to paddle
  6. row — a line
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. prune — to trim
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. wake — a trail
  14. stem — to come from
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. charge — electricity
  19. rock — a stone
  20. charge — in control
  21. dip — to sink
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. prune — to trim
  24. prune — the fruit

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com